A simple, delicious, homemade cherry crisp that doesn’t use cherry pie filling. In less than an hour you can make a cherry dessert that everyone will love.

Crisps are some of my favorite desserts. We already have an apple crisp recipe on the blog, so Kim wanted to add another one.

What could be better than apple crisp, you ask? Well, we think our cherry crisp is just as good. Kim hopes you’ll feel the same way too.

Before getting started, Kim looked at a few cherry crisp recipes and noticed a trend. Everyone seems to use cherry pie filling. So, Kim put in the extra time to make a homemade filling.

I think you’ll be pleased with the results. If your looking for a recipe that uses canned cherry pie filling, then try our easy cherry dump cake recipe.

The finished cherry crisp in white bowls and topped with homemade whipped cream.

How to Make Homemade Cherry Crisp:

Cherry Crisp Filling:

First, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350 F. degrees and grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Set the dish aside.

Once that is done, prep your ingredients, like washing and pitting the fresh cherries or thawing the frozen ones.

Next, in a large saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Give everything a good stir to mix in the cornstarch.

Then, cook the cherries over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens then remove from heat. It should take about 10 minutes and the cherries should have a nice thick consistency but still have some liquid.

Last, pour the filling into the prepared baking dish and then get started on the topping.

The cherry crisp ingredients like oats, brown sugar, and pecans.

Cherry Crisp Topping:

Using a medium bowl or food processor, combine the flour, oats, butter, sugars, salt, cinnamon, and pecans until a crumble forms.

Now, if you’re not using a food processor you’ll need to chop up those pecans and do your best to mash that butter into the other ingredients with a pastry cutter or fork.

Afterwards, use your fingers to place the topping over the cherry filling in an even layer. There may be some areas that aren’t covered or you might have extra cherry crisp topping like we did.

An aerial view of the crisp topping in the food processor after it has been mixed.

Baking the Cherry Crisp:

First, place the crisp in the oven and bake it for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

You may have to turn it once halfway through the cooking process if your oven doesn’t cook evenly. Not everyone has a custom kitchen, some us live in rentals.

Next, remove from the cherry crisp from the oven and allow to cool before serving.

Then, top it with ice cream, whipped cream, or your other favorite toppings.

Last, store any leftovers in a sealed container for up to three days.

A top-down view of the cherry crisp in white bowls with whipped cream on top.

Cherry Crisp Tips:

If you are using frozen cherries, please make sure they thawed out completely and have been patted dry with paper towels.
The crisp topping can be made gluten-free by using a gluten-free all-purpose mix.
In case you are wondering, yes, you can freeze this dessert once it’s been completed.
Not a fan of cherries, then then try our blueberry crisp or pumpkin crisp instead.

Top this dessert with one of our whipped creams, like our Homemade Whipped Cream or our Irish Cream Flavored Whipped Cream!